“Just Playing Stupid Football”
October 30th, 2015
Former Lovie Smith coaching intern believes Lovie must change or his rotten defense will never improve.
You want to get inside the Bucs’ meeting rooms with coaches and players? Well, good luck, short of buying the team.
That doesn’t mean you cannot get a window into what might be going on behind closed doors at One Buc Palace.
And the way to get insight is from none other than Steve White. The former Bucs defensive lineman, who played for Father Dungy and was on the same line of scrimmage as a former Bucs linebacker coach named Lovie Smith, was also a coaching intern with Lovie when he came to town last year to take over the Bucs.
White went on WDAE-AM 620 yesterday to talk Bucs football with Tom Krasniqi and Ronnie Lane, and White admitted that while he didn’t feel well before the Bucs’ game Sunday, what he saw made him more ill..
“What is there left to say?” White asked. [Chuckles] “I don’t think there is much left to say. I I know this defense to be able to play better and perform better than what we are doing.”
Then White reinterated what he typed on Twitter. While strongly saying how much he respects Lovie and likes Lovie, that until or unless Lovie fixes the secondary, tripe like we witnessed in the second half of the Washington gagfest will become the norm.
In particular, White said the revolving door in the secondary of changing starters every game must stop.
“Just playing stupid football,” White said of the Bucs defense. “This team should be smarter and better than what they are playing and it is difficult to watch.”
To hear the full interview, click on the arrow below. Audio courtesy of Joe’s friends at WDAE-AM 620.
October 30th, 2015 at 5:21 pm
Stupid Football is a great way to describe Lovie’s gameday coaching. I would like to know what was said at halftime. Something had to cause the entire D to stop playing good football and just take a crap the entire 2nd half of the game.
October 30th, 2015 at 5:23 pm
Steve stopped short of saying Lovie’s defense Sucks. Sounded to me like no way in hell the bucs win this game unless everyone plays above and beyond of the current state in all areas, and stars are aligned just perfect.
October 30th, 2015 at 6:16 pm
When I look at our team, position by position, I see players who, individually, should be competitive in the NFL. Maybe the defensive secondary is the exception but otherwise they looks as good as anyone else. Put them together as a team and all that changes. Penalties, out of position, all the things needed to lose a game. I conclude it is coaching, with a need for several players in the defensive secondary.
As a postscript, my seats are on the 35 yard line, on row K. I have an aisle seat with a good view. I see our DB’s playing 15-20 yards off the receiver, every play. Are they that weak that they can’t play to stop a 10 yard pass play?
October 30th, 2015 at 6:23 pm
Sad state this team is in defensively, no doubt about it.
I guess it’s time to just hand the ball over to JW and let him win the game for us. He is building a little consistency. It’s time to finally score more than the other team. Open up the throttle. It’s as simple as that.
SMDH
October 30th, 2015 at 6:57 pm
Love can’t fix this defense. The only thing he can do is make you believe none of this is his fault. Try to make you believe the team is getting better, when it is getting worse. If football is based on wins and loses,…well then Lovie is worse than Shiano and Raheem Morris. (with Bucs) I don’t even watch games anymore. I don’t listen to his PC’s. You can call me not a fan, but sorry I can use my time more wisely than watch garbage.
October 30th, 2015 at 7:04 pm
@Joe
Since the season is over, and for some reason you will not do the ever popular “Lovie confidence poll”. I think it is time for a new poll format. How about the “Pick the Bucs biggest blowout” with the remaining games! Other than that, all to talk about is the draft!!!!
October 30th, 2015 at 7:23 pm
Yeah..What happens IF..our Bucs win on Sunday? Not impossible. In fact, Stats show The Bucs are very good when comin off a severe or humiliating beatdown, I kinda got this feeling our Bucs play real big on Sunday. Can’t wait. GO BUCS!
October 30th, 2015 at 7:42 pm
I want to believe the Bucs can pull this game out against the Falcons.
But, as long as Lovie is heading them, I just can’t convince myself that
it will happen. Rookie qb is playing good to very good and Lovie’s D
is putting NO RESISTANCE…NONE.
Oh well, it’s a buc’s life.
October 30th, 2015 at 7:50 pm
It’s hard to pick what might be the biggest blowout of the Bucs remaining games. That’s as hard as picking which game will be the biggest win.
October 30th, 2015 at 8:32 pm
@620 wdae
If your crappy radio hosts openly say they are not a fan of the bucs or rays or lightning they should be fired immediately. How can you be a host on a station that is Tampa sports teams themed and not be a fan of those teams? Pathetic. Tom jones you suck and stutter your way through every show. Go back wherever your from and be a host on that teams stations. Let fans of the Tampa market be hosts here. We don’t care two shi ts about your mets or any other team your a fan of.
October 30th, 2015 at 9:09 pm
Have decided I really don’t get what’s going on. We’ve got 3 very good LBs. Our CBs, when Banks and Verner are in there, are pretty decent. I like Conte back at safety, but Mcdougald has been a let down this year. Still, we’ve got as much talent in the starting lineup as many teams, but something’s screwed up. Steve White’s right about the ‘revolving door’ … there’s no chemistry being built. Party that, partly the defensive scheme?
October 30th, 2015 at 10:55 pm
“Winston is the first player in NFL history to throw for at least 200 yards in each of his first six games.”-via Buccaneers web site. I was a harsh critic of JW, but this is cool…
October 31st, 2015 at 1:18 am
Hmm… your site has once again been taken over by forces that are stronger than your meager defenses. Florio (for example) never has these problems. Never complains about OS users. Maybe it’s time to stop blaming the customer
October 31st, 2015 at 3:30 am
I just hope that we don’t see Mike “has been” Jenkins, who could not cover JJ Watt on his best day. Lovie needs to stop making his CB decisions personnel and go with Alterraun Verner, Johnthan Banks and Sterling Moore in the slot and stick with it from now on. I can even live with Banks and Moore, with Verner in the slot. No more Jenkins or it will be more of the same. How to get more out of DE? If Jenkins is out, our defensive front will have more than 2.5 seconds to get to Matt Ryan. Someone tell Jacquies Smith and William Gholdson that there is something called a “spin move” that they can try out once in a while. Gholston has the “speed, bull rush, throw your arms in the air” rush (even on running plays).
October 31st, 2015 at 7:46 am
Winston is improving! The sad part is his improvement is due to the D allowing other teams to score so quickly which gives him more time on the field.
October 31st, 2015 at 11:02 am
I guess we could keep Lovie as a coach if we take away his control of personnel and defense. He can be a mascot of sorts who says things like “We are on the verge again” and “we are now Tennessee ready” over and over to boost morale.
October 31st, 2015 at 11:13 am
Im under the impression that our offense is fixed. Yea we could use a few newer parts on our line, an NFL LT and some passable version of WR depth. But hey, it’s running well. We have all the pieces to play formidable defense, but we are not the best defense in the league talent wise so Lovie Smith has no idea how to coach them. In Tampa, St. Louis and Chicago, Lovie had superstar players that would have dominated the NFL if I coached them. Adversity is why they ran him out of Chicago, he can’t handle it.